Collapsible form or mold



Aug. 31, 1937. w. T. HARDY COLLAPSIBLE FORM OR MOLD Filed NOV. 2, 1936 r to enable the assembling thereof in forming or posed body sections 8, 9, a set of combined con- Patented Aug. 31, 1937 3 2,091,923

UNITED STATES PATENT COLLAPSIBLE FORM OR lIOLD William Theodore Hardy, deceased, late of Dallas,

gem, by Myrtle Hardy, administratrix, Dallas, ex.

Application November 2, 1936, Serial No. 108,879' 3 Claims. (01. 25-1315) I This invention relates to a collapsible form or Figure 4 is a top plan view of. the sill elements mold for the building of culverts, drainage or disposed in jacking-up position in full linesand storm sewers, bridges or tunnels or for any other in dotted lines removed from suchposition by a purpose for which the form is applicable. projecting and retracting tool, H

The object of the invention is to provide, in Figure 5 is a. side elevation of the form of re- 5 a manner as hereinafter set forth, a form consistmovable combined coupling and bracing element ing of a series of re-usable, separate elements employed for the body section, capable of being expeditiously assembled and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure-5 of the disassembled when occasion requires. form of removable combined coupling'and brace A further object of the invention is to provide, ing members employed for the sill elements, and in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a form Figure 7 is a perspectivevview 'of 'the'sill pro,-. consisting of a series of re-usable, separate elejecting and retractingtool. V ments of any suitable material such as metal A collapsible form or mold, in accordancewith or wood and with the elements so constructed as this invention includes a pair of oppositely dis-I molding position without the employment of pling and bracing elements l0 for the body secdriven holdfast devices entering said elements. tions 8, 9, a pair of oppositely disposed sill jele A further object of the invention is to provide, ments I I, I2 substantially of'the same length as in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a form or that of the body sections, and a pair of combined 0 mold including a pair of oppositely disposed recoupling and bracing members. 13, I4 vfor the leasably interengaging body sections and a pair elements ll, l2. i 3 of oppositely disposed removable wedge-like sill The body sections 8, 9 are to be of the desired elements for jacking up the body sections in inlength, width and height depending upon the terengaged relation. size of the structure to be formed. U A further object of the invention is to sim- The bodyfsection 8 includes a plurality. of up plify the use and construction of forms, whether standing parallel spaced internal ribs or supports they be made of wood or metal, for the building l5 of like form. Each rib l5 consistsof a body of culverts, drainage, or storm sewers, bridges part l6 of the. desired width, thickness and and tunnels of any size opening; for reducing height, disposed units bottom edge H. The body the cost of operation; and for increasing the efli part l6 includes a straight outer side edge I8,,a

ciency and rendering them easier to be manipurounded upper edge I9 extending inwardly, from lated, thereby saving time, trouble and money its lower to its upper end, and an inner side'eldg-el for those who desire to build culverts, drainage The latter is formed of' anfupper and alower or storm sewers, bridges and tunnels of any size straight edge portion 20,.2l respectively'disposed 5 opening. in parallel endwise spaced relation and'separated To the above ends essentially and to others by an inwardly extending V-shaped e dge portion which may hereinafter appear, the invention con- 22 having one end merging into the 'lower' endof sists of the novel construction, combination and edge portion 20 and its other end merging into arrangement of parts as will be more specifically the upper end of edge portion 2 l.,' Theinner side 0 described and are as illustrated in the accomedge also includes anvedge portion 23 inclining panying drawing wherein is shown an embodiin a direction towardsedge l8j.jandmerging.at its ment of the invention, but it is to be understood lower end into the, inner. end of: edge ll, vThe that changes, variations and modifications may upper end of edge portion 23 vmerges ,into the be resorted to which fall within the scope of the lower end of edge portion. 2!. The edge portions invention as claimed. 20, 2| are of the same length. The edgeportion In the drawing:- 24 is of greater length'than edges l'l, I11 and I9. Figure 1 is an isometric view of theform broken The inner end of edge I1 is arrangedabove the away showing the interior thereof, lower end of edge l8. The edge l'l inclines Figure 2 is an end view of the form prior to downwardly from its inner end to the lower end the complete jacking-up'of the body sections, of edge [8. Owing to the manner in which'the Figure 3 is an end view of the form with the edges of the rib l5 are setup, the rib increases body sections completely jacked upxand with the in width from its bottom to its top. v,The V-shaped form shown in position for forming the superedge portion 22 provides a groove-"on and near I portion of a tunnel upon the bottom of the latter the upper end of the, inner edge of the rib. The

and with the tunnel indicated in dotted lines, latter near its lower end and in proximity to edge I! is formed with an opening 24. Secured to the edges N3 of the ribs I5 is a check plank 25 disposed on its bottom edge and with the latter inclined at the same inclination as and forms a flush continuation of the bottom edge I1 of rib I5. Secured to the edges I9 of the ribs I5 are abutting crown planks 26.

The body section 9 is constructed in the same manner as the body section 8 with this exception 10 that the ribs or supports 21 of section 9 are provided on their inner edges with V-shaped extension 28, in lieu of the V-shaped inner edge portion 22 which provides the groove. When the body sections are set up in oppositely disposed relation,

the extensions 28 are seated in the grooves formed by the V-shaped edge portions 22. Otherwise than that as stated, the construction of body section 9 and its ribs 21 will be the same as that of body section 8. The openings in ribs 21 are indicated at 29. The cheek plank and the crown planks of body section 9 are indicated at 30, 3I respectively. The outer side edge, top edge, bottom edge and inner side edge of the ribs 2! are indicated at 32, 33, 34 and 35 respectively.

Each combined coupling and bracing element I0 is of yoke-shaped contour and is formed of a. metallic rod having its end terminal portions 36, 31 disposed at right angles to its intermediate portion 38. The latter is of materially greater length than the portions 36, 31.

The sill elements I I, I2 are of like form and each consists of an elongated bar 39 of Wedgeshaped contour. The bar 39 has a flat bottom face 40, an outer side edge M, an inner side edge 42 of greater height than the edge M and an upper face 43 inclining downwardly from edge 42 to edge 4|. The inclination of the upper face 43 of a sill corresponds to that of the bottom edge of a rib. The sill II is formed with a pair of spaced aligned openings 44, 44*. Each opening is arranged between the transverse median and an end of the sill II. The sill I2 is formed with a pair of spaced aligned openings 44, 45 and each opening in sill I2 is arranged between the trans- 5 verse median and an end of sill I2. The openings 44 are to align and the openings 45* are to align for a purpose to be referred to.

The combined coupling and bracing members I3, I4 are of like form and each corresponds in construction to any one of the elements I 0, with this exception, that they are of less length and of greater height than that of an element I0. Each of the members I3, I4 is formed from a metallic rod having its end terminal portions 45, 46

disposed at right angles to its intermediate portion 41. The latter is of materially greater length than the terminal portions 45, 46.

With reference to Figure 7 there is illustrated by way of example a tool for shifting the sill elements to and from their position (Figure 3) of jacking-up the body sections 8, 9. The tool is indicated generally at 48 and it includes a cross head 49, a pair of oppositely disposed shifting members '50, SI of angle contour extending over v and pivotally connecting at their inner ends with the ends of cross head 49, as at 5 2, 53, and a lever arm 54 integral at its inner end with and offset with respect to the upper face of cross head 49, as at 55.

7 When using the form, the body sections 8, 9 are arranged in interengaging relation over the base 56 (Figure 2') of the structure which is to be formed. The base 56 is on the bottom of the excavation or on what would be the supporting 7 means for the structure. The body sections 8,

9 are then coupled and braced by the elements I 0 which removably engage in the openings of ribs I 5, 27. When the body sections are arranged in the position aforesaid, they are disposed upon the sills II, I2 with the inner part of the bottom edges of the ribs I5, I1 positioned on the lower part of the upper faces of the sills, as is shown in Figure 2. The tool 48 is first engaged in the aligned openings 44 and then operated in either direction on its center whereby the left ends of the sills will be moved to the position as shown at the left of Figure 1 or as shown in Figure 3. The tool 48 is then engaged in the aligned openings 45 and then operated in either direction on its center whereby the right ends of the sill will be moved to the position shown at the right of Figure 1, at which time the body sections will be jacked up to the position shown in Figures 1 and 3. The length of the lever 54 of the tool 48 is such as to clear the outer'ribs of the sets of ribs on the operation of the tool 48. The openings 44, 44 are spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the end marginal portions of the upper faces of the sills. The outer ribs of the sets are mounted on said marginal portions and the spacing of openings 44, 44 as aforesaid provide a clearance for lever 54 of tool 48 on the operation of the latter. After the sills have been shifted to the position (Figure 3), the tool is removed and the members I3, I4 are mounted in the opening of the sills. The balance of the structure, indicated at 51 (Figure 3) is then formed. When the structure has been completed, the elements I0 and members I3, I4 are removed, the tool again is used to shift the sills from jacking-up position with respect to body sections 8, 9 which allows for these After said sections have been lowered they are separated, after which the sills, elements I0, members I3, I4 and sections 8, 9 are removed from the structure.

What is claimed:

1. A form for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of upstanding oppositely disposed independent body sections having internal coacting inherent means to provide for the interengagement thereof in abutting relation at their upper portions of their inner faces and each including internal spaced parallel upstanding ribs carrying an external cheek plank and a set of external crown planks, each of said ribs having its bottom edge inclined. downwardly towards its cheek plank, oppositely disposed slidable sills of wedgelike contour for positioning throughout against the bottom edges of and for jacking up said sections in interengaged positions, a set of spaced combined coupling and brace elements transversely disposed relative to said sections and having angularly disposed end terminal portions removably mounted in said ribs, and spaced combined coupling and brace members transversely disposed relative to and having angularly disposed end terminal portions removably mounted in the tops of the sills between the ribs.

2. A form for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of oppositely disposed independent body sections, each including a plurality of parallel spaced upstanding internal ribs, an external cheek plank and a plurality of external crown planks anchored to the ribs, each of said ribs including an inner side edge having its upper portion formed of a pair of spaced endwise aligning superposed straight parts and its remaining portion inclining outwardly from the lower end of the lower one of said straight part latter to be lowered. I

each of said sections having its lower side inclining downwardly from its inner side, a pair of bodily slidable oppositely disposed wedgeshaped sills for removably bearing against said lower sides to jack up said sections in upstanding position with straight parts of the ribs of one section abutting straight parts of the ribs of the other section, the inner side edge of each of the ribs of one section being formed with a groove opening between the straight portions thereof, and the inner side edge of each of the ribs of the other section being formed with extensions between the straight parts thereof for seating in said grooves when said sections are jacked up.

'ing said 3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 havribs formed with horizontally disposed apertures adjacent the inclined portions of the inner side edges thereof, said sills formed with vertical openings, a plurality of spaced parallel yoke-shaped combined coupling and bracing elements removably engaging in said apertures, and a plurality of spaced parallel combined coupling and bracing elements removably engaging in said openings.

MYRTLE HARDY, Administratrix of the Estate of William Theodore Hardy, Deceased. 

